A research plan is essentially a map or description of the research you are planning on undertaking. A traditional research plan includes: topic, background, objectives, methods, data and execution. It should also demonstrate that the author is familiar with his/her topic and related research. Essentially, a research plan tells those people approving your research project, exactly what you are going to do and how you're going to archive it.
This can involve:
Below you will find some useful links and tools to preparing your research plan.